Anthony DiComo's Mets MLBlog

Ike Davis to receive Munson award

From the Munson Awards:

New York Yankees pitching ace CC Sabathia and New York Mets slugging first baseman Ike Davis will be honored at the 33rd Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on Tuesday night, February 5, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, it was announced today by the AHRC New York City Foundation.Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, will attend her 33rd straight benefit, having been involved since its inception, raising nearly $12 million to assist children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Thurman Munson Awards are presented for success on the fields of play and philanthropic works off the field.

For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner call 212-249-6188.

Sabathia, a veteran of 12-year major league seasons, is a six time All-Star, Cy Young Award recipient and key member of the Yankees 2009 World Championship team. In 2012, Sabathia was 15-6 for the Yankees with a 3.38 ERA, threw 200 innings or more for sixth consecutive season, and has one of the most durable arms in baseball. He has a 9-5 record (.643) in post-season play, and earned his first 20-win season in 2010 as a Yankee.

CC and his wife, Amber, co-founded the “PitCCh In Foundation,” designed to enrich the lives of inner city youth through various community outreach, sports and educational programs. “PitCCh In has three signature programs: the All Star Baseball Clinic, the Youth Backpack Program and the Christmas Caravan.Over the last few years, the foundation has been responsible for numerous programs in the New York Tri-State area and Vallejo, CA including: the distribution of over 10,000 thousand back to school backpacks for low income children; the redevelopment of the North Vallejo Little League baseball complex where CC played as a child; raising of funds for the JCC Therapeutic Nursery in New Jersey; an ongoing commitment to the Boys and Girls Club of America.

CC was recently inducted into the Boys and Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame (2012), and has been working in the community to assist families hit the hardest by Hurricane Sandy.Each holiday season, CC and Amber embrace the role of playing secret Santa on both coasts. They host a annual holiday party at the MLB Fan Cave in Manhattan for youth from the Boys and Girls Club. On the West coast, CC and Amber return to their hometown of Vallejo, CA for additional days of giving back to families in need and the communityDavis is the son of a Thurman teammate, pitcher Ron Davis, so the Munson Award takes on added significance. “When I told my dad that I was being honored at the Thurman Munson Dinner he was thrilled,” said Ike. “My dad and Thurman played together for two years and he always told me he was the fiercest competitor he ever played with during his career. My dad always told me that no one wanted to win more than Thurman Munson. I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to meeting his family.”Davis burst on the scene as a rookie with the Mets in 2010. His 19 home runs and 71 RBI were among the best rookie numbers in team history. After missing most of 2011 due to injury, Davis led the Mets with 32 home runs last season, while knocking in 90 runs, second to David Wright’s 93 RBI.

Davis hosts an annual charity event with the proceeds going to Solving Kids’ Cancer (SKC) and the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. Davis lost his childhood friend, Mike Lio, to Ewing’s Sarcoma and has devoted his philanthropic efforts to raise funds and awareness for cancer research. Davis also participates in the Mets Amazin’ Calls program which connects players with fans who have Amazin’ stories. The Mets call children and adults who have displayed heroic acts of courage, are committed to community service, are overcoming health challenges, or other deserving individuals.

The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 15,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.The list of notable athletes to previously receive the Munson Award reads like a sports “Who’s Who,” and includes: Yankees: Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera, Willie Randolph, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Robby Cano, Bernie Williams, Bobby Murcer, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira; Mets: Tom Seaver, John Franco, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, Ron Darling, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Keith Hernandez, Rusty Staub, Gary Carter and RA Dickey; and such icons as Muhammed Ali, Arthur Ashe, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, “Dr. J” Julius Erving, and Sen. Bill Bradley.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.